Sunday, January 25, 2015

Weekly Run-Cap: Skirts, Tanks and Sunshine?

Run 31.9: 55 degrees, sun, clear skies. This was supposed to be a normal run on my regular route. I didn't have work that day so it was nice to just feel free to do whatever. You know what I wasn't free to do?? Run my regular route! That asshole dog was back!!!!! I got in my desired distance but had to zig zag through what are essentially long driveways. It made for a not fun ending when you have half a mile and are looking at your house wondering where to make up the distance. But I got it in!

I missed a couple days of running due to again, more annoying Meniere's issues and being too dizzy to even sit upright on my own. I keep making progress and then dang it, knocked back down again.

Run 31.10: 61 degrees, short sleeves, skirt. I had no goal. I took off running and suddenly it was like "oh hey, we are going to do some speed work!" ... so I just went with it. Nothing spectacular to report. I cut it a bit shorter since I knew the next day was going to be long. It felt rather nice to just go out there and give it my all and survive!

Run 31.11: 63 degrees, a tank top, skirt and wonderful views! This was supposed to be a long run in honor of Steve Prefontaine's birthday. Supposed to being the key part of that sentence. I was enjoying myself so much. The views were so nice, perfect weather... it was just me, some cows and sheep, and very few humans. But I was only 1.7 in when my trusty Meniere's had other plans.  I had to start walking more than I care to... but when I saw my final pace at the car I was shocked! So I guess my running is getting faster and I didn't even know it. Woo!

On this run I learned how to get 20 sheep to run together ... and then is, just breathe and run by. Then I learned how to get them to freeze and stare .... just pause your Garmin so it makes that little beep! Simple things amuse me on a run!


Sunday, January 18, 2015

Weekly Run-Cap: That Damn Dog

Run 31.6: 55 degrees, sunny, absolutely gorgeous! If all runs were like this one I would be running multiple times a day, every single day! I don't know what it was, but I just got in the zone and this was the single best run I've had in my new neighborhood. Each mile was faster than they normally are on the neighborhood route. I wasn't deliberately going faster, but it just seemed to happen. At the time I didn't even realize it, but when I hit the end and checked my Garmin - well let's just say some of my neighbors are fully aware now that I was happy with what I saw! It concerns me that the hills that used to bug me are hardly even a blip on my radar now. I guess it's time to graduate and move on to the next mountain on the path!

*My next scheduled run didn't happen. Instead I found myself on a brisk 2+ mile walk with some dogs in the park. I may not have run, but boy did I work up a sweat nonetheless!

Run 31.7:  50 degrees. With the warm, misty air, I found myself happy to be out running. The "rain" stopped before I even had a chance to work up a sweat (which kind of disappointed me). As far as running, I did good, tried to push my pace a bit to help get back to my old normal. The hiccup with this run was the damn dog near the turnaround. I had already passed its house, continued along to where I like to turn and was heading back ... and then it spotted me. This dog is the very definition of ankle biter. That little bastard came flying down the hill from its house and made a beeline for me. And again, as per usual, went right for my feet. Last time it almost tripped me, so this time I was prepared. I LOVE all animals. This dog is an asshole! The one good thing about that little brat is it makes me pick up my pace even more just so I can get away from its bark and dive bombs at my feet!

Run 31.8:  57 degrees, cloudy. I was so tired. I wanted to run longer and leave my neighborhood, but I always really wanted to vacuum and test out my new Swiffer Wet Jet. (Housewife hours after all, sometimes I have to earn my keep around here!) So I stuck to what I know and hit the 'hood. I heard the neighborhood turkeys today but never could find them. Dang it. The squirrel carcass was finally gone, but the banana peel I've been watching for a couple weeks is still there and taking forever to decompose. This time I thought I might make it to my turn around without that dog .... and I was wrong. That pipsqueak came flying down and I decided to immediately turn around. It still chased me, even though I told it to go away. Ugh. To make up the distance difference I turned on the road I keep only looking at. I am happy to say I made it a good way up this hill that I dread. My goal is to actually get up and down the full loop, but this thing is a bitch and I'm gonna ease on into it! I felt pretty awesome when I hit my goal point before I turned ... and after that the rest of the run was a piece of cake. This picture is very deceiving. This is the hill that I even had a hard time walking just past the view of the photo. ... and I am awesome at walking up hills passing people trying to run them!

And now I'm writing about my last run feeling disappointed and annoyed -- because it didn't happen. I was dressed to run, had my plan set for a nice, long run in absolutely perfect weather .... and then a Meniere's attack hit me out of the blue and pretty much ruined all of those plans.  Here I sit, typing in full running clothes and just longingly looking outside. I had such a good week going, too. I can only hope tomorrow I will be steady on my feet and able to take advantage of my day off with the long run I missed!



Sunday, January 11, 2015

Weekly Run-cap: The Animals Took Over

In honor of marathon weekend in Walt Disney World, I start this off with a moment I think about often while encountering difficult moments in running .... You can't see my face, but I was absolutely full blown crying from every possible emotion while getting my Goofy Challenge medal. For non Disney peeps and non-runners ... that's the weekend I did the 5K, the 1/2 marathon and then the full marathon. It was crazy hot, crazy emotional, crazy everything. Post Goofy, everything just feels easier!



Run 31.3: Well that sucked.  It was a beautiful run, weather wise. I had sunshine AND warmth! My first mile was my fastest first mile in a while, too. *My entire first mile, if I run at home, is uphill and always the hardest mile. But my body changed its mine and sent me home sooner than I wanted. I at least got out there and tried, but it wasn't anything to write home about. . . so here I am at home writing about it.

Run 31.4: This run wasn't for my legs or fitness. This was one of those runs where you go to clear your mind and forget about real life for a while. I had no goals other than to just relax. Turns out when I run to relax my brain I end up tackling a ridiculously hard hill. I was planning on building up to this one -- but the annoying dog near my turn around was already chasing me before I got near the turn... so I altered my course. Dang, that hill became a hike, and even running down was a little touch and go. It felt great to accomplish running up most of it though! My favorite thing about this run was getting to finally be near my neighbor goats up close. They are always wandering around the hillside, but today came down by the road. Goats and horses ....can't dislike neighbors like that!



Run 31.5: I have to say I absolutely LOVE where I live! It is so quiet. All the time, just quiet. Every run I go on it is rare I encounter any vehicles. Usually it is just myself and nature. Today I went outside and was greeted at the start by 4 deer just hanging out! One mile in I was treated to a couple dozen wild turkeys just hanging out near the horses. I'm so happy they made race belts that easily hold my phone because I would have really regretted not getting photos of my new friends! My run itself was freaking awesome! I felt better than I have since before my really huge Meniere's attack a couple weeks ago. Finally I feel like I am almost back to where I was, and ready to start rebuilding my distance to prepare for my upcoming half marathons! Also, I've done all of these runs in the new Adidas I got and I have nothing bad to say about them at all. They are so light and incredibly comfy. Love!

Monday, January 5, 2015

She Did NOT Just Ask Me That

I was busy with myself buried in spreadsheets, hard at work. An instant message window popped up on my screen from my darling mommy.
"Can you do me a BIG favor?"
I knew right away this wasn't going to be to give her a vehicle inventory number, or look up how much we last paid to a vendor.
"Is this about your dog?"
Yep! I was right! I meant to screenshot it, but I forgot to before I closed the window. The reply went something like this:
Yes. I left my house in a hurry this morning and it's his first time home alone in nearly two weeks. I forgot to leave the television on and am concerned he might get lonely being alone. If you'd like to go "water" him and turn the TV on, he likes to watch Bones and Castle. They are on channel 36.
She got her way. I went home to get my little Lady, and the two of us went on a road trip to see Buddy and turn on his dang TV! Spoiled dog! 

 

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Run 31.1 & 31.2: My Return to Run Blogging!

It's been so long since I actually posted about individual runs, but I've decided to give it a go again! My grandpa got a new Chromebook for his birthday and it was so cute and fun that I used my birthday/Christmas gift money to go get one for myself too! But mine has a touchscreen, and omg how awesome is it to be going about your usual business and then get to actually just touch stuff on your screen instead of having to having to move the cursor?!? Love it! Anyway, now that I have this I can sit upstairs and watch 21 Jump Street as often as I want.... and blog at the same time without having to do it through my iPad (or downstairs on my real computer). So.... here I am! My triumphant return to blogging!

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My running has been very sporadic since Goofy. I wanted to let myself have a break after back to back marathons, I got married, I bought a house, I moved ... life happened. And with life happening, my Meniere's Disease has also tried to take over more and more, making running increasingly difficult. Every run has been a challenge, but I'm going to still keep on trying to get out and do the best I can that day! I was supposed to already be going on a training plan I have or my 31st half marathon, but having been completely stuck sitting for days at a time, I'm behind. I bought myself a 2015 training log, filled it in through mid-September, and am going to try to be diligent and follow it as best as I can!

So Run 31.1 (run 1 in training for half marathon 31): So cliche, but it was January 1. I had just watched Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals have an awesome victory in the Winter Classic. I called this a celebratory run, decked out in my Ovechkin hockey jersey! It was 32 degrees, but not a cloud in the sky! I wanted to do 3. Vertigo and complete exhaustion from a week of Meniere's issues halted me at 2 hilly miles. Better than none!

My favorite souvenir from last year's Canadian adventure!
Run 31.2: Today's run was over 10 degrees warmer, and just as sunny! It was actually kind of nice to be out in long sleeves and knee socks again. Someone please remind me to wash my gloves!! They smell like dog.  I did 3 miles this time, feeling successful since I avoided falling. Running with vertigo is a serious pain in the ass!! I did enjoy running through the dirt/rocks/mud/sand when I had a chance. My ultimate goal is a Ragnar trail relay weekend, so any time I can get off road I'm gonna do it! I did do this run in some new Adidas that I picked up yesterday after getting this fun Chromebook. They were ridiculously cheap at Ross ... but felt so awesome. Have I ever found Adidas I don't like though?!? Nah, not really! 

My new toys!

So there's my first week! My goal is to run blog once a week and hopefully not just come to say I was lame and had Jonah Hill marathons instead of running on actual hills!


Saturday, January 3, 2015

What the Elevator?

The work day was coming to an end. I was about to go home for the weekend; starting to power down  my computer and forward my phone. And then this little gem happened.

A woman and her small child were at the front counter paying a water bill. As children often are, the little one was curious about the elevator and wanting to go for a ride.  And then this happened:

No, honey, we're not using the elevator today... not in this weather.


Um, WHAT?